Road rage killing hits California officer's soft spot

1of5San Jose police officer Huan Nguyen, right, started a fundraiser for Dieu Hien Hyunh, left, and her children after her husband, a bus driver, was killed.Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, STF

2of5This May 21, 2014 photo shows Dieu Hien Hyunh's shrine in memory of her husband Phuoc Lam in San Jose, Calif. San Jose police officer Huan Nguyen came to the aid of Hyunh after her husband Phuoc Lam was killed during a road rage incident. Nguyen and his colleagues sent texts to friends and family asking if they could help the widow. Then, at his friendsâ urging, he launched a website, hoping to raise a few thousand dollars. Word spread quickly: now, just two weeks since the murder, close to $100,000 has poured in, from the local Vietnamese community and far beyond, including Houston, Boston, New York, even London. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, STF

3of5In this May 21, 2014 photo, San Jose police officer Huan Nguyen, right, poses for a portrait with Dieu Hien Hyunh, left, and her children Henry Lam, second from left, and Steven Lam in San Jose, Calif. Nguyen came to the aid of Hyunh after her husband Phuoc Lam was killed during a road rage incident. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, STF

4of5In this May 21, 2014 photo, Dieu Hien Hyunh stands in front of a shrine in memory of her husband Phuoc Lam at home in San Jose, Calif. San Jose police officer Huan Nguyen came to the aid of Hyunh after her husband Phuoc Lam was killed during a road rage incident. Just two weeks since the murder, close to $100,000 has poured in, from the local Vietnamese community and far beyond, including Houston, Boston, New York, even London. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, STF

5of5In this May 21, 2014 photo, San Jose police officer Huan Nguyen, right, visits with Steven Lam in San Jose, Calif. Nguyen came to the aid Lam and his family after his father Phuoc Lam was killed during a road rage incident. Just two weeks since the murder, close to $100,000 in aid has poured in, from the local Vietnamese community and far beyond, including Houston, Boston, New York, even London. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, STF

SAN JOSE, Calif. - After 17 years on the force, San Jose Police officer Huan Nguyen had learned not to get emotionally involved in his work. But then one got through.

On May 6, a road rage slaying in his Little Saigon neighborhood, on the streets where he grew up and now patrols, took the life of a Vietnamese immigrant like himself. The victim was a 37-year-old bus driver, Phuoc Lam, who left behind a widow and two young children, one with severe autism.

"We try not to get emotional, but sometimes these things really affect me," Nguyen said.

Nguyen and his colleagues sent texts to friends and family asking if they could help the widow. Then, at his friends' urging, he launched a website, hoping to raise a few thousand dollars. Word spread quickly: Now, less than three weeks since the killing, nearly $100,000 has poured in.

"I'm very thankful, and I'm very surprised," said widow Dieu Huynh, a limited English speaker whose husband's cremated remains were buried last weekend.

Sinking into her couch with her 4- and 7-year-old sons, she fought back tears, telling Nguyen in Vietnamese how her younger son, Steven, keeps asking her to call his father. Her older son, Henry, can't talk, but hugs and kisses her. Unable to function independently, Henry dashes out the door into the street if left unattended, has seizures, and will need a lifetime of constant care.

"When I met this family, I could see they were going to need help," said Nguyen, himself a father of two. "It really, really got to me."

National Center for Victims of Crime Executive Director Mai Fernandez said online, crowd-sourced fundraisers are increasingly common for crime victims, but usually it's friends or family who launch them.

"I've never heard of a police officer stepping in like this. This sounds like a really special person," she said. "When there's a tragedy out there, there are a lot of heroes who step up. It's amazing to see the outpouring of generosity of the public. Humankind really does care about each other."

Nguyen, who sought approval before reaching out publicly and has the full support of San Jose Police Chief Larry Esquivel, said he's shy about being in the spotlight.

"But this isn't about me at all," he said. "My job is to help others. No amount of money can replace their dad, but this can help those boys as they grow up."